This is the first week of school for many children across the United States. As healthcare professionals, continuous learning must also be part of our developmental strategies. Planning such strategies takes time – and a multitude of resources. Across My Desk is one such resource I hope you’ve found helpful in that regard. Each week, I try to bring you information that will help you stay up to date and informed on emerging trends, issues and processes relevant to the practice of case management. Feel free let your friends and colleagues know about this resource, too. You can sign up at www.cmrg.com.

Another resource you can tap into is the Case Management Society of America (CMSA). CMSA is the professional organization for those involved in the practice of case management. CMSA has a wealth of information case managers can access, either in person, in print or online. To add CMSA to your list of resources, go to www.cmsa.org and check out the resources and membership information. Be sure to check back often so you can view the variety of resources offered. In additional to national resources, also check the listings for local CMSA chapters. If there’s one near you, I urge you attend meetings regularly, as they also provide important resources case managers can utilize. CMSA has 70 local chapters across the country that offer great venues for networking, and for learning about local and state issues you can play a role in.

Last week, CMSA announced a major change in their official publications. The Board of Directors has chosen two new publications to be the official CMSA publications. This was done to meet the educational and professional needs of case managers today. The two newly-named publications are Case in Point Magazine and Professional Case Management journal. Case in Point is a bimonthly magazine published by Dorland Healthcare Information, and Professional Case Management is a peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (part of Wolters Kluwer Health). CMSA has chosen two official publications rather than one to ensure that case managers receive evidence-based and research information, along with the professional, personal and lifestyle information they need on a regular basis. This will help keep all of us informed and current on issues impacting our practice. Beginning in January, 2007, CMSA members will receive each publication in alternating months, so you’ll be seeing one each month. To help ensure that we are meeting your educational needs, I and Suzanne Powell, Editor-in-Chief of Professional Case Management, will work together closely to make sure we cover the full spectrum of information you need on a regular basis.

In addition to these two publications, CMSA has also announced that the Case Management Resource Guide (CMRG), which is also published by Dorland Health Information, is now the official product and service directory of the Case Management Society of America. To reserve your 2007 CMRG directory, sign up at www.cmrg.com.

In closing, I would like to personally thank Cathy Mullahy, Editor of Case Manager Magazine, for her many years of service to the case management industry. Cathy has been a leader, a mentor and friend for many years, and I wish her well in all her future endeavors.

Till next week, take care and continue building your education resources!

Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Across My Desk, Case in Point magazine, and the Case Management Resource Guide
allewellyn@dorlandhealth.com